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India Population State wise 2024

India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, totaling 36 entities. According to the Census Population Projection Report, India’s population in 2023 is estimated to be 1,388,163,000 (1.39 billion or 139 crore).

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, while Sikkim is the least populous state. Among the Union Territories, Delhi has the highest population, while Lakshadweep is the least populous Union Territory.

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Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar. Projections indicate that by the year 2024, Bihar’s population will surpass Maharashtra’s, elevating Bihar to the second position in terms of population. Likewise, Rajasthan, which previously held the 7th rank, has now overtaken Tamil Nadu to secure the 6th position. Furthermore, Gujarat, originally ranked 9th in the 2011 census, has now surpassed Karnataka to attain the 8th rank.

On the other end of the spectrum, Sikkim retains its status as the least populated state, with Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh following suit.

Let’s have a look at the population of States and Union Territories.

RankStates2011 Census2024 estimates
1Uttar Pradesh19,98,12,3412,35,687,000
2Maharashtra11,23,74,3331,26,385,000
3Bihar10,40,99,452130,725,310*
4West Bengal9,12,76,11599,084,000
5Madhya Pradesh7,26,26,80986,579,000
6Tamil Nadu7,21,47,03076,860,000
7Rajasthan6,85,48,43781,025,000
8Karnataka6,10,95,29767,692,000
9Gujarat6,04,39,69271,507,000
10Andhra Pradesh49,386,79953,156,000
11Odisha4,19,74,21846,276,000
12Telangana35,193,97838,090,000
13Kerala3,34,06,06135,776,000
14Jharkhand3,29,88,13439,466,000
15Assam3,12,05,57635,713,000
16Punjab2,77,43,33830,730,000
17Chhattisgarh2,55,45,19830,180,000
18Haryana2,53,51,46230,209,000
UT1Delhi1,67,87,94121,359,000
UT2Jammu & Kashmir1,22,58,43313,603,000
19Uttarakhand1,00,86,29211,637,000
20Himachal Pradesh68,64,6027,468,000
21Tripura36,73,9174,147,000
22Meghalaya29,66,8893,349,000
23Manipur28,55,7943,223,000
24Nagaland19,78,5022,233,000
25Goa14,58,5451,575,000
26Arunachal Pradesh13,83,7271,562,000
UT3Puducherry12,47,9531,646,000
27Mizoram10,97,2061,238,000
UT4Chandigarh10,55,4501,231,000
28Sikkim6,10,577689,000
UT5Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu5,86,9561,263,000
UT6Andaman & Nicobar3,80,581403,000
UT7Ladakh274,289300,000
UT8Lakshadweep64,47369,000

*Bihar Caste Survey 2023 figures

Highest Population State in India

Uttar Pradesh stands as the most populated state in India. According to the 2011 Census, the top 5 most populous states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Although in 2011, Maharashtra held the 2nd position, Bihar’s notably higher growth rate of approximately 20% brings it close to surpassing Maharashtra by 2023-24, securing the second spot.

It’s noteworthy that nearly half of the country’s population resides in these top five most populous states, and collectively, the ten most populous states contribute to 74% of India’s total population. Over the course of this decade, Bihar records the highest population growth rate, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Top 10 population state in India is as follows

RankStates2024 estimates
1Uttar Pradesh2,35,687,000
2Bihar1,26,756,000
3Maharashtra1,26,385,000
4West Bengal99,084,000
5Madhya Pradesh86,579,000
6Rajasthan81,025,000
7Tamil Nadu76,860,000
8Gujarat71,507,000
9Karnataka67,692,000
10Andhra Pradesh53,156,000

Lowest population state in India

Sikkim is the least populated state, with Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh at Number 2 and 3 places. As per census figures, the 12 least populous states and union territories together account for a mere 1% of India’s overall population. Extending this observation, the 21 states and union territories with the lowest populations collectively contribute only 10% to the nation’s total populace.

RankStates2024 estimates
1Sikkim689,000
2Mizoram1,238,000
3Arunachal Pradesh1,562,000
4Goa1,575,000
5Nagaland2,233,000
6Manipur3,223,000
7Meghalaya3,349,000
8Tripura4,147,000
9Himachal Pradesh7,468,000
10Uttarakhand11,637,000

Indian Union Territories by Population

India comprises 8 union territories, with Delhi having the highest population, nearing 21 million residents. On the other hand, Lakshadweep is the least populated union territory, housing a mere 69,000 individuals. Notably, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are the recently established union territories.

RankStates2024 Estimates
1Delhi21,359,000
2Jammu & Kashmir13,603,000
3Puducherry1,646,000
4Chandigarh1,231,000
5Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu1,263,000
6Andaman & Nicobar403,000
7Ladakh300,000
8Lakshadweep69,000
Indian States by Population Growth Rate

According to Census estimates, India’s growth rate is approximately 12.56% for the period of 2011 to 2021. Bihar stands out with the highest population growth rate during this timeframe, registering a significant increase of 18.16%. Following Bihar are the states of Jharkhand and Haryana, which also experienced notable population growth rates.

States with Highest Growth Rate

RankStatesGrowth Rate
1Bihar18.16%
2Jharkhand16.71%
3Haryana16.36%
4Madhya Pradesh16.35%
5Rajasthan15.54%
6Gujarat15.49%
7Chhattisgarh15.48%
8Uttar Pradesh15.11%
9Uttarakhand13.02%
10Assam12.16%

States with the Lowest Growth Rate

In the 2011 census, the majority of South and Western Indian states exhibited growth rates below the national average. This trend has persisted in recent studies. Additionally, the northern Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh also display growth rates below the national average. The Eastern states, such as West Bengal and Odisha, are also included in the list of regions with low growth rates. According to Census estimates, ten states have experienced growth rates below 10%. Among these, Tamil Nadu has the lowest growth rate, followed by Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

RankStatesGrowth Rate
1Tamil Nadu6.03%
2Kerala6.27%
3Andhra Pradesh6.30%
4West Bengal7.37%
5Himachal Pradesh7.80%
6Punjab8.13%
7Odisha8.40%
8Telangana8.56%
9Karnataka9.66%
10Goa9.70%
State wise Population of India 2024 | Top Indian States by Population

Rajeev Rana

Rajeev Rana loves reading about history and demography and has been writing on these topics for five years. While not a certified expert, he has a deep understanding of demography in India. Rajeev contributes to several websites and has extensive knowledge of the Delhi NCR area.

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